Mahto

Mahto or Mahato is a surname used by several castes and communities in Nepal and the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha in India.{{cite book |author=Papiya Ghosh |title=Civil disobdience movement in Bihar, 1930–1934 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tH8MAQAAMAAJ |year=2008 |publisher=Manak |isbn=978-81-7827-000-5 |page=94 |quote=... the surname 'Mahto' was used by Dhanuks, Dusadhs, Goalas, Koeris, Sunris, Tharus, Dhobis, etc, and 'Raut' was used by Amats, Chamars, Dusadhs, Dhanuks, Goalas etc. }}{{cite book |author=Sachchidananda |title=Social Change in Village India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uEwut4Ax-3QC&pg=PA12 |year=1988 |publisher=Concept Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-7022-206-4 |page=12 }}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FuGPAAAAMAAJ |title=Human Rights: Theory and Practice |editor1=Debi Chatterjee |editor2=Sucheta Ghosh |editor3=Sumita Sen |publisher=South Asian Publishers |year=2002 |isbn=9788170032472 |page=128 |quote=But a person having 'Mahato' surname may belong to any caste which is included in the prescribed... |access-date=2020-09-20 |archive-date=2023-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922094743/https://books.google.com/books?id=FuGPAAAAMAAJ |url-status=live }}

Historically, Mahato was the hereditary title of the village headman, whose duties were to maintain peace in his area, and collect revenue for the zamindar (feudal landlord).{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hK-FjcbMH0wC&pg=PA215 |title=Marriage and Customs of Tribes of India |author=J. P. Singh Rana |publisher=M.D. |year=1998 |page=215 |isbn=9788175330870 |access-date=2020-11-30 |archive-date=2022-06-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220610192956/https://books.google.com/books?id=hK-FjcbMH0wC&pg=PA215 |url-status=live }} In multi-caste villages of Bihar, the zamindar used to give the title of Mahato to one person each from the Bhumihar, Yadav, and Beldar caste.

In Bihar, the surname Mahto is also used by people belonging to Kushwaha caste.{{cite web|url=https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/story-controversial-statement-of-rabri-devi-on-making-samrat-chaudhary-bihar-bjp-state-president-7934807.html|title=बनिया से मन भरा तो महतो को बनाया, सम्राट चौधरी को बीजेपी प्रदेश अध्यक्ष बनाने पर राबड़ी देवी का विवादित|website=LiveHindustan|accessdate=23 March 2023|language=Hindi|quote=Samrat Chaudhary has got the command of state BJP president in Bihar. People have started congratulating Samrat Chaudhary. Meanwhile, Rabri Devi, wife of former state CM and RJD chief Lalu Yadav, while taunting the BJP said that if the mind is filled with the Baniya people, then now the mind has to be filled with the Mahato people. Samrat Chaudhary comes from Kushwaha caste and people of Kushwaha caste also use Mahato surname.|archive-date=24 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324043443/https://www.livehindustan.com/bihar/story-controversial-statement-of-rabri-devi-on-making-samrat-chaudhary-bihar-bjp-state-president-7934807.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://theprint.in/politics/part-of-nitishs-core-luv-kush-votebank-on-bjp-radar-why-kushwahas-are-sought-after-in-bihar-politics/1490546/|title=Part of Nitish's core 'Luv-Kush' votebank & on BJP radar — why Kushwahas are sought after in Bihar politics|website=the print|accessdate=4 March 2023|archive-date=9 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409054839/https://theprint.in/politics/part-of-nitishs-core-luv-kush-votebank-on-bjp-radar-why-kushwahas-are-sought-after-in-bihar-politics/1490546/|url-status=live}} In Jharkhand, it is a term most often associated with Koeri and Kurmi caste.{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/in-hazaribagh-they-still-talk-of-the-mahto-meeting/article5832263.ece|title=In Hazaribagh, they still talk of the Mahto meeting|website=The Hindu|date=25 March 2014 |accessdate=18 April 2023|archive-date=18 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418190004/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/in-hazaribagh-they-still-talk-of-the-mahto-meeting/article5832263.ece|url-status=live}}{{qn|date=December 2024}}

The castes and communities that use Mahto, Mehto or Mahato as a surname, clan name or title include:

{{columns-list|colwidth=10em|

• Beldar
• Bhumihar
• Chamar{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-NinRMPp1cUC&pg=PA131 |title=Scheduled Castes Today |author=Makhan Jha |publisher=M.D. |year=1997 |isbn=9788175330603 |page=131 }}
• Dhanuk
• Dhobi
• Dusadh
• Goala
• Khairwar{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EZ9ABRcHNuoC&pg=PA12 |title=Genetic Consequent of Child Growth |author=K.K.N. Sharma |publisher=Northern Book Centre |year=1998 |isbn=9788172110987 |page=12 }}
• Koeri
• Kudmi Mahato (Kurmi){{cite book

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9qrmTdshzKQC&pg=PA114 |title=The Unrest Axle: Ethno-social Movements in Eastern India |author=Gautam Kumar Bera |publisher=Mittal |year=2008 |page=114 |isbn=9788183241458 }}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1nqYqBBf_IC&pg=PA340 |title=Issues in Indian Politics |author=Lalan Tiwari |publisher=Mittal |year=1995 |isbn=9788170996187 |page=340 }}

• Oraons{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=scgz0Uzn64YC&pg=PA206 |title=The Tribal Culture of India |editor1=Lalita Prasad Vidyarthi |editor2=Binay Kumar Rai |publisher=Concept |year=1977 |page=206 }}{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TmDRNTYw49EC&pg=PA246 |title=Encyclopaedic Profile of Indian Tribes |volume=1 |author=Sachchidananda |publisher=Discovery |year=1996 |isbn=9788171412983 }}
• Bedias{{cite book |author=K.S.Singh |title=People of India: The scheduled castes |year=1992 |publisher=Anthropological Survey of India |quote="Mahato, Bedia, and in a few cases, Majhi, are also used as surnames. The Bedia use Mahato, Majhi, Par gohit, Deshmondel as titles." |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1GxHJav8MuUC |page=215 |isbn=9788185579092 |access-date=2023-03-22 |archive-date=2023-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325193955/https://books.google.com/books?id=1GxHJav8MuUC |url-status=live }}
• Sunris
• Tharus
• Yadavs
• Brahmins}}